The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
Fiber optic cables are commonly used in the telecommunication industry. A fiber optic cable generally includes a protective outer jacket surrounding a buffer tube. The buffer tube contains a number of optical fibers. The cable often includes one or more flexible strength members that strengthen the cable while still allowing the cable to bend. A fiber optic cable can also include a tracer wire. The tracer wire is a conductive wire generally used for trouble shooting circuits and locating the cable.
When a technician is installing fiber cable drops, numerous devices and steps are commonly utilized to secure, protect and connect the cable and tracer wire as needed. The fiber optic cable is brought into the enclosure through a gasket. A portion of the fiber optic cable jacket is stripped and the strength members are attached to a point in the enclosure with various types of clamps, especially clamping washers, to provide strain relief for the cable. The tracer wire is separated from the fiber optic cable and routed to the ground bar of the enclosure. The tracer wire jacket is stripped and the tracer wire is bonded to a ground bar to ground the tracer wire. This is most frequently accomplished by wrapping the tracer wire around a threaded stud on the ground bar. The tracer wire is then held in place by screwing a nut onto the threaded stud.
When a technician needs to perform certain operations, such as toning a tracer wire to locate the cable with which it is associated, the technician must disconnect the tracer wire from the ground bar. The technician first needs to locate the correct tracer wire. Then the technician unscrews the nut holding the tracer wire on the threaded stud and removes the tracer wire. Finally, the technician can connect the test equipment to the tracer wire and perform the necessary tests. Once the tests are complete, the technician must reconnect the tracer wire to the threaded stud and screw the nut back onto the stud to hold the tracer wire in place.